The public are “crying out for leadership” at Stormont, Ukip has said.

The party’s sole MLA David McNarry appealed for unionists to come together and said that the DUP and UUP should now join the talks proposed by the Secretary of State.

The Strangford MLA said: “People want peace, order and politicians they can trust.

“Today they feel let down and are crying out for leadership. Ukip have confidence in the people’s judgment on the issue of what is good governance. It is not direct rule.

“Society demands the removal of the Provo Army Council once and for all. There will be no ‘life-lasting solutions’ until the IRA is gone for good.”

Mr McNarry said that the word of the Chief Constable on the IRA should be sufficient for politicians. And, in a criticism of the DUP and UUP push for a new Independent Monitoring Commission to rule on paramilitary ceasefires, he said: “We do not require a cobbled together alternative [to the PSNI] to rush forward a report.”

Mr McNarry said that the DUP and UUP should “stop their in-fighting and lamentable brinkmanship”, telling the parties: “You look silly, ineffective and unimpressive.”

He added: “The message could not be clearer: stop pussyfooting around; get stuck into negotiations before concessions are teased from you when you sit down at the table.

“If you can’t hack it, then move over – you won’t ever again be trusted with another chance.”